Use of X-ray film: technical discussion with example images

[premortho]

OK, that answers the question. MT1 is a toner. I guess I would have written the description just a little different.

[axs810]

Just curious..has anyone tried to do long exposures with the Ektascan xray film? A friend gave me a few sheets to try out and the results came out pretty good (for regular exposure) but I'm curious about reciprocity. Anyone have any tips or examples?

[ImSoNegative]

I have actually shot up to 10 sec with no problem whatsoever, I wasn't sure about the reciprocity either so I just went by what the meter said, turned out fine. I was using green sensitive fuji

[Max Hao]

Anyone tried to clear one side of the xray? I'm tired of the scratches on one side of the film. Cheers.

[StoneNYC]

Anyone tried to clear one side of the xray? I'm tired of the scratches on one side of the film. Cheers.

Yup, it's pretty easy, it's basically the same as when you have to bleach a Polaroid Fuji negative.

You find a nice piece of glass, actually I just use newsprint but that's just me most people like to have a much harder surface, anyway you get some plastic tape that's really good and you just line the edges so that it's taped against the glass or the paper quite enough that any runoff doesn't see through to the other side and make sure it's completely flat so that not a single little crack in the taping can allow any kind of liquid to get to the other side, anyway then you just poor bunch of bleach on top, a lot of people like to use the gel bleach but I found no problem using regular old Clorox bleach, then you simply take the paper towel and wipe off the emulsion.

When you're done and it's completely clear on one side, you take the whole piece and rinse it off under tapwater so that all the bleach is gone, and then take the tape off and then wash it again just to be sure none of the bleach is on the edge line, make sure that you don't wet the other side because you don't want contaminated bleach to touch the actual good side of the film. Then simply hanging to dry like you would normally.

That's what I do anyway.

PS it was too much to type and I'm on my phone, so I ended up dictating this with Siri, so if there's any words that seem off, that's why. Good luck!

[Max Hao]

Yup, it's pretty easy, it's basically the same as when you have to bleach a Polaroid Fuji negative.

You find a nice piece of glass, actually I just use newsprint but that's just me most people like to have a much harder surface, anyway you get some plastic tape that's really good and you just line the edges so that it's taped against the glass or the paper quite enough that any runoff doesn't see through to the other side and make sure it's completely flat so that not a single little crack in the taping can allow any kind of liquid to get to the other side, anyway then you just poor bunch of bleach on top, a lot of people like to use the gel bleach but I found no problem using regular old Clorox bleach, then you simply take the paper towel and wipe off the emulsion.

When you're done and it's completely clear on one side, you take the whole piece and rinse it off under tapwater so that all the bleach is gone, and then take the tape off and then wash it again just to be sure none of the bleach is on the edge line, make sure that you don't wet the other side because you don't want contaminated bleach to touch the actual good side of the film. Then simply hanging to dry like you would normally.

That's what I do anyway.

PS it was too much to type and I'm on my phone, so I ended up dictating this with Siri, so if there's any words that seem off, that's why. Good luck!

Many thanks, StoneNYC. Very timely. I'll get some bleach and try out.
Cheers.
Max

[StoneNYC]

Many thanks, StoneNYC. Very timely. I'll get some bleach and try out.
Cheers.
Max

I always found it very easy, but I've heard others say that it's very difficult for them, so depends on if you have somebody fingers, and whether that's easy or not, I literally just use paper towel to rub off the emulsion, it's soft and you can throw it away after.

That said I suggest you attempt this first on a negative you don't care about just to be safe.

[photoevangelist]

Wow Lee! Your portraits are awesome. Are these image from scanned prints?
Can you share any tip on contact printing X-ray film to Silver Gelatin Paper? Filters, Time, etc

Thanks!

Thanks! Contact printing times are going to be different for each paper, developer, machine, lens, aperture, and distance to paper. I'm using a Zone VI VC enlarger at the moment, but almost finished setting up my Omega D5 which, from there on out, I'll be using for making contact prints because the Zone VI bulbs aren't made anymore. For these recent portraits, I've been doing "split filtering" the green bulb for the highlights and the blue bulb for the shadow value.

[mdarnton]

I wonder if anyone has any experience with pencil retouching on x-ray film. I am doing mostly portraits, and there is a definite advantage to doing some old-fashioned retouching. I do know that it was traditionally done on the back, on films made for retouching, or after applying a varnish dope layer for tooth. I tried pencil on one side of my double-sided Fuji green, and it went on quite nicely, which makes me wonder why not to retouch on the emulsion side (since I don't have a choice, both sides being emulsion :-)

Anyway, it sure would save a lot of Photoshop time, I think.

[Peter De Smidt]

Well done, Vince!